Legislative gridlock and the unwillingness of lawmakers to follow statutory law with regard to paying out the annual Permanent Fund Dividend are two of the main reasons that State Senators Shelley Hughes and Mike Shower are now urging Alaskans to vote “yes” to call a statewide constitutional convention.
The lawmakers took to the stage of the Wilda Marston Theater in Anchorage on Oct. 18 to lay out the case for why they believe it is time for rank-and-file Alaskans to address issues that the Legislature is either unwilling or unable to tackle.
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Prior to turning the microphone over to Shower and Hughes, Anchorage professor and Chair of Political Science at UAA, Dr. Forrest Nabors, spoke about the natural law rights of Alaskans to direct the political destiny of the state. He provided insights into the makeup of the original constitutional delegates and explained why and how the state’s current constitution was embedded with provisions that actually prevent citizens from keeping government accountable to the people.
An estimated 60 to 70 people turned out for the event, including U.S. House candidate and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Political blogger Politadick livestreamed the entire two-hour presentation on Facebook. Click here to watch it.
